Which structure is mainly responsible for producing the nail plate?

The nail matrix is the primary structure responsible for producing the nail plate. This is the tissue located underneath the base of the nail where new cells are generated. As these cells multiply, they harden and compact as they move outward, forming the visible nail plate. The health and function of the nail matrix directly influence the thickness, texture, and overall growth of the nails.

The nail bed, while it provides support to the nail plate, does not produce it. Instead, it is the area beneath the nail that helps secure the nail. The cuticle serves a protective function by covering and sealing the area where the nail emerges from the skin, thus protecting the nail matrix from infections but does not produce the nail itself. The lunula, which is visible as the pale half-moon shape at the base of the nail, is part of the nail matrix but does not independently produce nail plate material. Its prominence varies from nail to nail and plays more of a cosmetic and identifying role than a functional one in nail production.